The Effect of Lying Time on Fattening Performance in Lambs

In Turkey, rapid population growth, along with accompanying social and economic developments, has been increasingly driving the demand for animal-based food products. A sustainable increase in production can only be achieved through the implementation of modern breeding techniques and the enhancement of yield per unit. In this regard, in order to enhance the meat yield of sheep in Turkey, it is necessary not only to carry out breeding programs, but also to promote intensive lamb production in line with scientific and administrative strategies. Although lying time in lambs is considered one of the important behavioral parameters, studies investigating its relationship with fattening performance remain highly limited. This study aims to investigate the effect of lying time on the fattening performance of Merino lambs. The results are expected to provide valuable insights and contribute to future studies focusing on lamb behavior and fattening performance. The animal material of the study consists of male lambs born to Merino ewes housed in an indoor pen system at the Sheep Breeding Unit of the Animal Health and Animal Production Application and Research Center, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Bursa Uludag University. In this study, the live body weight of each male lamb was individually measured at 60, 90, and 120 days of age using the scale located in the Sheep Breeding Unit. Daily body weight gain (DBWG) was calculated by dividing the difference between live weight measurements at different ages by the number of days within the corresponding period. In order to enable a more precise observation of lying time, two cameras positioned at different angles were mounted above the pen housing the lambs, and their lying behaviors were recorded and monitored via these cameras. Observations of lying time were conducted when the lambs reached 60 days of age. Each lamb’s lying behavior was recorded for 10 days during the 60-day age period and for an additional 10 days at 90 days of age, yielding a total observation period of 20 days. All analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 29, and the statistical model was applied to examine the relationship between lying time and fattening performance. A significance level of P<0.05 was used for all statistical analyses. During the study, the association between live weight measurements and lying time was assessed by examining the lying durations recorded within the designated observation periods. Investigating the relationship between lying time and fattening performance in lambs will provide a foundation for future studies on their subsequent productivity.